I am actually amazed by how many women have approached me for advice on how to deal with the way their own mothers and fathers are affecting their children’s self-esteem with well intentioned, but often hurtful comments aimed at weight and appearance. It’s a cycle that needs to be broken, and it’s a tough one to break.

It’s estimated that by the time a girl is 17 years old she’s seen approximately 250,ooo messages from the media telling her what she’s supposed to look like.…

I knew when I became pregnant with my son, that I would love him and do whatever it took to make sure that he would be safe and happy. What I didn’t expect, was how becoming his mother would also make me take care of myself for the first time in my life.

Growing up, I was a very confident, outgoing little girl. It wasn’t until I turned 17 that my life took a drastic turn. My brother Billy, who was just the coolest and most handsome big brother in the entire world, had become…

Last week, I got a phone call from the mother of a 14 year old girl who said,"My daughter admitted to me that she's been hiding, sneaking and eating  food in the bathroom at school, what do I do?"  Normally, I would ask WHY she thought her daughter felt the need to be sneaky with her food, but the why became clear as soon as I heard the When. The sneaky behavior had started at the very same time her school had implemented their new "Healthy Food Program". In an effort to get kids to eat…

My fingers are tingling. My left arm is feeling numb and the pain in my chest is getting sharper. It’s 4am. I’m one of only 3 people at the gym right now, and I have no idea what to do. I’m starting to panic as I realize that my heart is now beating at a much quicker pace than it should be and the tingling sensation in my fingers is spreading up my arm and becoming more intense. What’s happening? I’m only about 30 minutes into the 2 hour workout I have planned and certainly don’t feel like I…